When making any audiovisual production, be it a film, series, advertising or promotional video there are many aspects that must be taken into account in order for the quality of the final product to be as expected and to communicate the message that is intended to be transmitted to the viewer. It is not enough just to have a good camera or the best idea, you need to take sound and lighting into account. This last one element is one of the most neglected and one of the most important. 

It may seem obvious to us: without good lighting, it will be difficult for us to see the video clearly. However, we must go beyond simply seeing the image reflected in the camera. Therefore, the ideal is to value the narrative sense in the same way. What do professionals do to tell the story also through light? We consider elements such as the contrast with the shadows, the temperature of the color, the emotions it transmits... 

Each of these details counts. Next, you will learn why and how you can provide your videos with higher quality, both technical and narrative.

What is the use of lighting?

We may think that this is an absurd question and that its answer is self-evident. Despite this, it is essential to know all the uses that are given to it. We can say that it has two "paths": one technical and another aesthetic. 

So, apart from always having adequate light, we also use it to give a three-dimensional effect to a flat image or to create all kinds of visual effects that are attractive and attract attention to who is watching the recording. 

On the other hand, it will be vital to get the most out of our camera. We may have invested a lot of money in it, but if we neglect the light, the result will be of much lower quality than we would expect from it. In this way, paying attention to the lighting we ensure to obtain the highest image quality. 

With all this, we should not forget about the narrative function. A story can have a meaning or another depending on how we light it. Additionally, from an aesthetic point of view, it can help us make a character look older or younger. 

Three-dimensionality of the scene

There will be more than one occasion, and even more if we are starting out in this world, in which we do not have too much space to record, but the scene requires a very wide space. When there are physical impediments, light can be a good resource to try to alleviate this difficulty. How?

We usually achieve this with three-point lighting, the standard type, but also the most efficient and most used. It allows us to separate the subject well from the background, giving a greater sense of amplitude. Normally we will use a spotlight that projects a light behind the subject to create this separation. 

Color temperature in the lighting

When recording, we have to look at the ambient light and always control the color temperature in the camera settings, making sure that the image is seen as we are really interested and as it resembles reality more than what we observe. Therefore, if we want to shoot in open or windowy locations, we will have to take into account the time of filming. On the contrary, if we are going to shoot in a totally closed space and all the light we use will be artificial, we will not need to know the time, but we will have to choose well which lights we want to use. 

While we know that there is yellow light, for example, and "white" light, do we really know the concept of color temperature? 

This concept refers to what each lighting transmits to us, according to its tonality. From the moment we are born, we learn that the fire is hot and the ice is cold, associating each color of these elements to a greater or lesser temperature. Then, it is recorded in our minds that red is a warm color and blue is a cold one. An orange light will give us a feeling of warmth, while a more bluish or white light will transmit an icy sensation. 

What lighting would you use in a desert? And in a glacier? Indeed, if we use a warm tone to show a polar space, it is possible that we do not achieve the desired effect and that we find a strong contradiction... and the same thing will happen to the viewer. 

Emotions and feelings: the narrative of light

The above-mentioned color temperature can also make us feel one emotion or the other and this is highly related to the narrative potential that the lighting we choose brings. We may not realise it, but in many movies (especially horror movies) lighting is the most important element, because it determines the effects that are achieved. If not for the lighting, many movies would not get their message that could move us, scare us, cheer us or distress us. 

Why? Because one aspect to take into account when lighting any audiovisual work is the angle. In addition to this, the intensity and the already mentioned color intervene... but we go step by step. 

In any narration, whatever type it is (no matter if it is advertising or fiction) it is vital to adapt the tone and, in the case of videos, the aspect to the different sensations and, above all, to the message we want to communicate. 

Color, as you know, brings warmth or coldness. This from the narrative aspect can have different effects. It is not the same that we use one or the other. Warm colors give us a feeling of relaxation, calm and even closeness. As for the cold ones... we can go beyond logic: they can transfer an aspect of modernity or technology, depending on how we approach it. 

This meets the intensity. Strong lights make us feel strong emotions, whether joy or nervousness, while fainter lights reflect melancholy or tranquility. 

In this sense, we distinguish two different types of lighting: diffuse and direct or hard. We understand by diffuse that which does not generate pronounced shadows and we perceive it as soft. On the contrary, direct light is brighter and casts shadows. 

The diffuse one serves for those moments in which we want a serene, calm scene or if we want to transmit tenderness. Sometimes it can give us the feeling of passivity. The natural light we get at sunrise or sunset is diffuse light, as it is usually softer than when we are in the central hours. 

His companion, the hard light, will be useful when we want to transmit mystery, aggressiveness, strength... or simply induce the viewer to feel an amplified emotion such as fear. It is, therefore, a more dramatic illumination. 

Finally, the angle or location of the light source will be what ends up defining what we transmit with our lighting. 

You know that light can have symbolism. We associate darkness with death, sinister things, fear or mystery. Instead, having light is synonymous with life and happiness. Where we place our sources of light will definitely mark the message. So much so that it has come to define entire film genres. 

A simple example to start introducing this subject: what is the gesture usually made with a flashlight to convey fear? Exactly, place it lit under the face. This could be the so-called nadir light and, next to the backlight, is one of the most used to create overwhelming sensations in viewers. 

In The Godfather it is used the zenith light, in addition to marked contrasts. With this, evil was represented and, of course, the film was flooded with high drama. Likewise, in Citizen Kane the lighting varied depending on the character’s mood. 

The best examples are horror films: in them we see shadows everywhere. They use direct lighting to generate them and play with darkness to create restlessness. Contrasts are firm. If we remove the shadows of certain scenes from cult films such as The Exorcist or The Shining, we would not feel the same tension nor would they cause us any kind of unease. It would not be the same, would it?

Now that you know the great importance of lighting, you are ready to go further. Shooting a video requires other specific knowledge. If you already know the basics and want to know more about the audiovisual language to be able to produce your own work for your town hall or organisation, do not hesitate: consult my  advanced filming and audiovisual language workshop and discover how far you can go.